1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for preventing the theft of automobiles; more particularly, it relates to portable devices that may be selectively attached to the steering wheel of an automobile to prevent unauthorized use.
Automobile theft is a major concern of owners, law enforcement officials and insurance companies. Many thefts are perpetrated by "amateurs" who intend to use the vehicle for a short time and then abandon it. In these instances, the vehicle is often damaged during the initial forced entry and start-up. The problem of theft prevention for automobile owners includes not only, actual prevention of the theft, but the discouragement of potential thieves from electing the owner's car rather than other vehicles. This leads to the value of highly visible deterrent means.
Portable anti-theft devices are not "built-in" to automobiles. They must be supplied by the owner or user. Cost effectiveness, ease of application and storage are important characteristics of such devices. In many cases, an owner will choose not to use such devices because they are deemed unnecessary at the particular time, or under "the particular conditions. When not in use the devices should be stored out of sight and out of the way of both the driver and any passenger, yet within easy reach and accessibility.
Anti-theft devices that attach to the steering wheel satisfy a number of the features described. They can be affixed to the wheel only when desired. They are visible from outside the vehicle. They effectively disable the vehicle from operation, even if a potential thief enters the vehicle and starts its engine. However, because they function by projecting beyond the perimeter of the wheel they must be unduly long and rigid. These characteristics are in opposition to the desire for a device that can be stored during non-use.
The most common compartment in the passenger area of an automobile is the glove box. The disassembled device should be dimensioned for storage in such a glove box. Fractions of an inch in both length and width are important because effectiveness as a theft deterrent or storage capability is lost, if the devices are too short on the steering wheel, or too big for the glove box.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,127 to Johnson, describes a steering wheel locking device that is unsuitable for storage. This device, is designed to be engaged across a steering wheel and project past the circumference so that it prevents rotation and vehicle steering. The long, heavy device must be laid down on the floor of the vehicle when it is not in use. It blocks the passenger space of either adjacent or rear seat passengers and strains the muscles of the person placing it out of the way.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,529 to Wen-Yin Wu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,388 to Shih-Yu Chen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,264 to Chiu-Lin Chen disclose multiple element devices that address the need to reduce the length of the locking member so that it can be stored. In doing so, they introduce: the need for ease of assemble and disassembly and the importance of interconnecting the elements so they cannot be disassembled by potential thieves. Also, the storage problem is not resolved if the disassembled device is not "packaged" and dimensioned for ease of handling and storage. These patents each fail to meet one or more of these criteria.